Twin or individual chair or seat structure



Nov. 30, 1943. Q, s, CAESAR ET AL 2,335,234

TWIN 0R INDIVIDUAL CHAIR OII SEAT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled July 31, 1940 o. s. CAESAR ETAL 2,335,234

Nov. 30, 1943. v

TWIN OR INDIVIDUAL CHAIR 0R SEAT STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled July 31, 1940 LQJ/iuIzZOW SJ Banyan/bah]? w Nqv. so, 1943.

O. S. CAESAR ETAL TWIN OR INDIVIDUAL CHAIR OR SEAT STRUCTURE 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed July 31, 1940 /1 712' Wimmwe {Z014 aniz'aw' zilz Nov. 30, 1943. o. s. CAESAR ETAL TWIN OR INDIVIDUAL CHA IBOR SEAT STRUCTURE Original Filed July :51, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIIPatented Nov. 30, 1943 TWIN R INDIVIDUAL CHAIR OR SEAT STRUCTURE OrvilleS. Caesar, Barrington,

F. Monroe,

of Delaware 111., and Benjamin Roscoe, CaliL, assignors to Tropic- Aire,Incorporated, Chicago, 111.,

a corporation Original application July 31, 1940, Serial No.

348,618. Divided and this application August 6, 1941, Serial No. 405,574

3 Claims fort which must be obtained by providing a maximum of foot'andlegroom. The attainment of this optimum condition of comfort and maximumseating capacity has presented a difiicult problem, which has, itisbelieved, been largely solved herein.

This application is divisional of our copending parent application ofthe same title, Serial No. 348,618.

An object is to provide a seat or chair for bus or passenger vehicle usewhich gives a maximum of leg room, including foot and shin room, and toprovide both single and twin seat structures having these advantages.

Another object is to provide an improved base or chassis structure, anda back structure so related thereto as to make for comfort and furtherthe efficiency of the structures related to the aforementioned object.

Features of the invention include all details of construction, alongwith the broader ideas of means inherent in the disclosure including:The manner of providing a maximum Of leg room; the elimination of anycross member or members at or near the points of connection of the backwith the base of the chair; the substantially flush arrangement of theouter sides of a single back or o! the outer sides of twin backs withthe outer sides of the bus chair base to obtain the maximum backsupporting areas.

Objects, features and advantages of the invention are set forth in thedescription of the drawings, and in said drawings:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a twin seat structure illustrating the foot,shin and leg-receiving recesses in the backs of the seats;

Figure 2 is a vertical section partly in elevation taken approximatelyon line 2-2 of Figure 1, further illustrating the foot, shin andleg-receiving recess and the relation of the back cloth and the footrest thereto and the spaced relations of two seats as in use;

portions of the release means seat structure, although some bularhousings being Figure 3 is a plan of the chassis partly in section,showing the lower portions of the back and for the back adjustingmechanism, in section;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section of-the back on line 4-4 of Figure 1showing the leg-receiving recess; and

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section with the back in its rearmostreclining position and showing how the movable arm resthas followed inits rearward movement.

The invention is shown applied to a twin bus seat structure ofa typewhich has one end attached to the wall of the vehicle and has a floorpedestal as the sole remaining support. It will of course be understoodthat not all phases of the invention are necessarily limited to a twinphases of the invention are so limited.

Referring first to Figure 2. This figure shows the spaced relation oftwo seats as in use, and the spacing is approximately proportionate tothat had when in use in a vehicle. The relations of the foot, shin andleg spaces of the forwardmost chair to the chair in the rear are shown.The numeral I indicates a pedestal and the numeral 2 generallydesignates the base or chassis supported by the pedestal.

A bracket, not shown, is provided, by which the inner end of the base orchassis is attached to the wall of the vehicle by the use of suitablefastening devices. The chassis or base is herein constructed ofreenforced metal made lighter by providing openings, not shown.

Referring to Figure be constituted by a U-shaped framegenerallyindicated at 6, which frame provides rearward extensions 1, 8.When we use the terms seat or base or seat-frame we mean that horizontalstructure of a chair on which the person sits, as distinguished from thelegs or other means which support such a portion and which hold thatportion spaced upwardly from the floor. These rearward extensions are inpart hollow or tubular for the reception of the outer arm of thecorrespond ing back. A central, rearwardly extending hollow structure isgenerally indicated at l0 and is tubular, as illustrated in Figures 3and 5; the tuadjacent one another atthe center of the long dimension ofthe structure. Cross connecting the arms 1 and 8 and the structure Illare truss structures generally indicated at H, l2. The parts arepreferably connected by welding.

It will be noted that the elements I, 8 and I0 3, the base may be saidto ably secured socket members, bers being indicated at It and The innersubstantially like that shown Now referring to Figure 4. n the forwardside of each back is suitable cushioning material.

Each U-shaped back frame provides two transversely the lower ends of arereceived in corresponding socket memends are suitably pivoted therein,as generally indicated at 2|. The legs are upwardly convergentlytapered.

It is further to be noted, (see Figures ll, 2 and 4) that by providingthe U-frame and arranging the cushioning material forwardly thereof, aleg or knee-receiving recess is provided which U -shaped piece of whichdust and dirt can fall, and thus not collect between the rear of theremovable seat 22 and the forwardly, downwardly ex the back cloth 30.The slanting surface 01' the herein, is provided.

Referring to Figures 2, and 4. On the forward side of the back hisinstance member l2. The pedestal is attached by suitable fasteningdevices I25 passing through openings I26 in the member i 24.

The range of movement of the back is seen by comparison in Figures 2 and5, and it will be noted that the foot, leg tained for all positions. Animportant advantage of this recessed back construction is that thesupporting members tending portion of and knee room is mainshown indotted lines in the back cloth (whether provided rangement of with akick plate or not) in relation to the recess and to the foot rest isnovel and it is noted that the back cloth extends below the upholsteryof the back frame, then forwardly and downwardly to in part define theforward wall of the recess or ship and foot space. This is a featureaside from that of the provision of an unrestricted recess extendingfrom a point below the seat and continuously upwardly to include theback. The connection of the back cloth to the base is such that the partof it whichlies below the upholstery of the back may be maintained insubstantially taut condition for all positions of the back. Anothervaluable arrangement is the utilization of the lower part of the backcloth as a means for automatically directing dirt downwardly to bedischarged through passages 35.

It will be understood that although the invention has been shown appliedto a double bus seat structure, the foot, leg and knee room recessfeature is applicable, of course, to a single seat.

Again referring to Figure 2, the feature of supplying adequate foot roombelow the seat at the rear and providing a foot rest which can swingunder the rear part of the seat or can be swung to a point rearwardly ofthe seat, as shown in Figure 2, and can be swung into recess 9 as sofaras we are aware, entirely new in this art. The advantages will appearfrom Figure 2 in which the relation of the front of a rear seat to therear of a forward seat is shown. 7

By inspection of Figure 2 it will be noted that the element [2 is spacedabove the lower surface of the side 8 so that an upwardly extendingrecess 9 is formed which may be considered to be a downward, forwardcontinuation of the recess It. The recess 16 may be said to be definedby the rear surface i3 of the truss structure and the extensions l4, IS.The upwardly extending open bottom recess 9 is defined in Figure 2 bythe inner face of the element 8 (see also Figure 3) and by the innerface of the element It and truss structures II or I2.

It will be seen then that when the heel of a foot is resting on 28 (seeFigure 2) the toe can enter the recess 9 or the recess l6 and when thefoot rest 28 is moved forwardly at some position, for example betweenits full-line position of Figure 2 and its bottommost dotted-lineposition in that figure, the toes can project into the recess 9 and theshins can lie within the recess II. On the other hand, when the element28 is in the full-line position of Figure 3 the knees can enter therecess B. This is a very important matter in bus practice, becausecomfort for long distance riding is greatly enhanced if there is roomfor various positions of the legs and feet. By the scheme herein shownthe passenger can stretch his legs to the limit or 'bend them to thelimit the same figure. is, in-

and yet have neither his feet, shins or knees uncomfortably engaged atany part of the seat in front of him. The foot rest is a valuableelement in combination with the recessed structure at the rear of thebase and back.

We claim as our invention:

1. A chair structure having a seathaving a forwardly extending notch atthe rear adapted to receive the feet and lower legs, a back havingupright side members attached to the seat, a back cloth arranged on theforward side of the side members and defining forwardly extending recessadapted to receive the legs and knees, said cloth extending into theseat notch and means securing its lower end to the seat at the forwardside of the recess.

2. A chair structure having a seat having in its rear a forwardlyextending relatively deep leg-receiving notch, a back-forming member andmeans pivoting it to the seat, said member providing two upright legs,each leg being elongated in a direction from front to rear, a back clothbridging the forward sides of said legs and forming therewith aforwardly extending leg-receivingrecess, the' lower portion of saidcloth extending over said seat notch and forming a top said cloth beingconnected to having means cooperating with the forward face of said backcloth through which dirt directed by the forward face of said cloth canpass to a point below the seat.

3. A chair structure having a seat having in its rear a forwardlyextending relatively deep leg-receiving notch which is an upwardcontinuation of a foot-receiving recess formed in the bottom surface ofthe seat, a back-forming member and means pivoting it to the seat, saidmember providing two upright legs, each elongated in a direction fromfront to rear, a back cloth bridging the forward sides of said legs toform therewith a leg-receiving recess, said cloth slanting forwardly anddownwardly and extending over the notch of the seat and forming a topwall for a recess, said cloth being; connected to the forward side ofsaid seat notch and said seat having means cooperating with the forwardface of said downwardly slanting back cloth through which dirt directedby the slanting portion of said cloth can pass to a point below theseat.

ORVILLE S. CAESAR. BENJAMIN F. MONROE.

with said members a,

